I Hope You Learned Your Lesson

There are so many things that my parents and grandparents used to say to us as children. Looking back as an adult, I can now laugh about many of them. "Don't make me pull this car over." "Well, you should have thought about that before you did it." "If you don't stop that right now I'll really give you something to cry about." OK, maybe that last one still isn't funny.

Parenting styles have certainly changed over the 64 years I've been alive. Since I already have to see far too many of the "When I was growing up..." memes and comments by people of my generation on social media meant to somehow criticize the parents of today, I won't even go there.

Yesterday afternoon I drove to Home Depot to pick up some bags of mulch when, out of nowhere, I thought about an incident from my childhood (that frankly had nothing to do with lumber, hardware, or mulch.) I have no idea how or why it popped into my head. But it did.

My parents got divorced when I was very young and my mom, my older brother, younger sister, and I eventually moved in with my grandmother. Her name was Gertrude but we simply called her Gram. She was the most influential adult in my life until she passed away in 1985. I adored her and the very idea that I would ever disappoint her hurt far more than any spanking I ever received from her (and I received my share... she was old school when it came to discipline.)

1960s Central Square Keene, NH

The New Hampshire town where I grew up was a small city and, in the late 1950's and early 1960's, most kids I knew were pretty much free range kids endlessly playing outside and riding our bikes. There was an understood territory beyond which I wasn't supposed to wander. No particular reason other than to keep us from getting too far from the house. That being the case, most of my closest play friends lived within about a half mile radius from our house.

My best friend's name was Ronnie and he lived on the street behind ours; the same cul-de-sac type street (we just called it a dead end) as the Batchelor family. The Batchelors had a son who was my older brother's age and a daughter named Jane... we all called her Janie. I'm not really sure how old Janie was at the time. I guess I always thought she was about the same age as we were since she played outside with us just about every day. But, reflecting years later, I'm sure that Janie may have actually been a young adult at the time. She was bigger than the rest of us, wore very thick glasses, always wore a dress and "street shoes," and, when outside, she always seemed to be riding her adult-sized tricycle. We knew that Janie was what we now describe as intellectually disabled. From my earliest recollection, my grandmother told us in no uncertain terms that we were to play with her and treat her kindly and to never make fun of her. But, Janie could get very bossy and would sometimes say some strange things with a voice that sounded different and not as clear as ours.

One day, I got so frustrated with Janie that I said something to her that was just mean and hurtful and she started crying and went inside her house. I'm not exactly sure how my grandmother found out about it, but she found out that very same day.

I had never seen my grandmother so angry. I had broken a cardinal rule of behavior that I knew better than to ever do. I don't really remember if there was any corporal punishment involved. What I do remember though (aside from her initial anger) was the look and posture of complete disappointment that she displayed when she confronted me. She proceeded to give me a lecture about what I had done and how terribly wrong it was. The more she talked, the more my heart was pierced with shame and guilt. I cried myself to sleep that night and, early the next day, I promptly went over to Janie's house (she was outside on her bike) and I apologized to her which made me cry again. And I remember the only thing Janie said was "don't ever do that again." And from then on we continued to be friends playing in the street until we moved away a few years later.

Another thing our parents and grandparents would say after we did something wrong like touching a hot stove or some other dumb kid thing was... "I hope you learned your lesson." That day, on a street named Boston Place, in Keene, NH, I learned a lesson that I have never forgotten.

Why Georgia?

Greetings from Georgia

About a year and a half ago I wrote a blog titled Why Florida? (link) Six months earlier, we had packed up everything we owned, loaded a truck (or 2) and trekked 400 miles south, rented a house, and became residents of Florida. About six months later, we sold our old house in Georgia. Carol had moved away from the only town she had ever really lived and, that I had lived for over 45 years (you can read the blog I linked above to to see why we moved.)

But the main reason why we moved to Florida has now changed. Because Florida wasn't ever going to be our permanent home, we had to make a decision of where we would live next. We are blessed to both be retired and honestly, we can choose to live anywhere we want. But, no matter where we live, we need it to be a place that can be "home." Back in 2012, when our daughter and son-in law were living in Korea, I wrote a blog titled Where's Home? (link) While the idea of moving to some exotic place sounds tempting... the beach, the mountains... some foreign country (I loved the idea of living in Ecuador,) the truth is, no matter where you live, you still have to wake up on Tuesday morning and live your life. In most cases, people choose where to live, during their working years, by where the job takes them. When that is not an issue, what is the appropriate criteria of where to live?

So many beautiful places in America

Based on my own travel experiences, if I wanted to live where the overall weather was great, I'd live in San Diego. If scenic beauty was the priority, I might move to Breckenridge, or Sedona, or Bar Harbor, or Naples, or... (honestly, there are way too many to list.) If I wanted to live where the overall surroundings and lifestyle are appealing, I'd live in Blowing Rock, or Asheville, or Charleston, or Knoxville, or Chattanooga. If I wanted to live in a place that is vibrant, I'd live in Nashville, or Athens, GA (or most any SEC college town for that matter... but not Gainesville...can't live in Gator country.) There are so many places where I have loved spending time... San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, New Orleans, but... I wouldn't want to live there.

We have two beautiful grandchildren. We loved living near them when they were here in Florida. But, they are now in NE North Carolina. We could always move there and remain just a few minutes away. That idea was very, very tempting. But, just like our last move, we didn't know a soul (except our kids and grandkids) here in Florida, and we wouldn't know a soul in Moyock, NC.

So, we've decided, despite the difficulty of the decision, that it is time to go "home" ...back to the area where we previously lived. In 2016, Carol was diagnosed with some memory related challenges (although she is still doing remarkably well.) My first priority was and is to do what is best for her. Our son lives in Augusta and will be getting married in November. We'd like to be nearby as he and our daughter-in-law embark on the beginning of their married life. We have a church in Augusta that we have been a part of since 1984. We have all of Carol's doctors in Augusta. Carol's sister and her husband are nearby. And there are some other important people in Augusta. As her husband, I can serve in many capacities for her... but there is one thing I cannot be...her girlfriend. She (and I) have some very special people in our life that, for decades, we have called friends. I think it is important for Carol to have her girlfriends nearby. I mean, she needs someone to whom she can complain about her husband!!

HaRVy- our 38 foot home on wheels, pulling Dolly and Taurus

If you follow or occasionally read my blogs, you know that we purchased a motorhome. Our daughter, son-in-law, and grandkids live 450 miles away from Augusta. Since traveling has become more difficult for Carol, we discovered that traveling by motorhome, allowing her to wake up in familiar surroundings (albeit smaller,) makes it easy for us to visit and spend time away from where our house is.

So, while we are now officially renters in Evans, GA... we will keep our motorhome HaRVy busy as he takes us to reuinite with our other family members and with friends as often as I can afford to put gas in him.

Where we belong

Why Georgia? Well, it just seemed like that is where we are supposed to be.

Ignore It and It Will Go Away

You've heard people say this haven't you? Maybe it is something irritable that is bugging you and a friend tells you to just ignore it... says it will resolve itself on its own.

I remember seeing a billboard advertisement for a dentistry practice many years ago that said, "Ignore Your Teeth! (And They Will Go Away")

Last week was my birthday. Always thankful when the ol' life odometer flips to the next number. But it wasn't a very happy birthday. A couple of days beforehand, I started having severe pain in one of my teeth. And since it happened to be a tooth that had previously been crowned, I knew this was probably not going to end well... likely I was going to need either a root canal or, heaven forbid, an extraction. That back molar had cracked several years before and I apparently waited too long to have it crowned. When the dentist removed the crown and drilled down to verify the condition of the tooth and begin the process for the root canal, it turned out that the crack was pretty significant and the whole tooth was nearly split down the middle.

In 2009, I was fortunate to go on my 2nd mission trip to Ecuador. This trip was a medical mission trip and a few of us non-medical folks were there to assist the physician, nurses, clinicians, pharmacist, and the one dentist on the team. Turns out, I was assigned to help Dr. Rhoda Sword, our dentist.

The instruments

One of many teeth Dr. Sword extracted

Oh, she didn't let me anywhere near a patient's mouth... our job was to assist with setting up the trays of instruments,  supplies, etc., hold the light, and to clean and sterilize the multiple sets of instruments afterwards. It was fascinating to help and observe. Being in the remote areas of Ecuador, the primary treatment was extraction of damaged, unhealthy teeth. The people were so thankful to finally be rid of terrible tooth pain. But after witnessing dozens of extractions and the nearly medieval looking instruments involved in the process, I made a silent wish to never have to have that done in my mouth (I was asleep during my wisdom teeth removal.)

Fast forward 6 years, which was 2 years into my retirement... January 2015 I decided to go back to work. I applied for a job at a local dental laboratory. It was a great job for a former retiree... they were looking for a delivery driver. My job was to pick up and deliver "cases" to area dentist offices. Our lab made custom titanium abutments, crowns, and bridges (and other fixed prosthodontics.) Being nearly 60 years old, I found myself immersed in a whole new world that I had nearly zero knowledge of but, I needed to learn in order to perform my job well. Dr. Geoffrey Sheen is a prosthodontist (with a full-time dental practice) and is the owner of Mustard Seed Dental Studio (a dental laboratory) which is right next door to his practice. He was my boss and is the type of boss who doesn't just operate a business, he has a teacher mindset and believes that the people who work for him need to know so much more than just performing their specific job task. He teaches. I am the curious type and was fascinated with the whole world of dentistry and the dental lab. I acquired a whole new vocabulary that I previously had no clue about. I began to understand far more about teeth and how they are restored than I ever thought I would want to know. I kept asking questions, and he kept on teaching. (By now I was no longer the delivery driver... I was in charge of production and handled much of the customer service.) Two years ago, I left my job at Mustard Seed so my wife and I could move to Florida to be near our grandchildren. But...I left with a head full of knowledge that I would have otherwise never have known had I not gone to work for Dr. Sheen, one of the most brilliant people I have ever worked for or with.

So, let's get back to my tooth. Only because of what I learned while working at the dental lab, here's what I know. The dentist told me that my #31 (2nd molar... it's a mandibular molar...meaning it is a lower molar mesial to #32 which had previously been removed because it was a wisdom tooth) needed to be extracted. He also said that a bone graft would be needed and recommended the immediate placement of a dental implant, which would later be restored with an abutment and crown. Knowing that we would be leaving Florida in a little more than 3 weeks, I was troubled that one dentist would place the implant and another dentist would be doing the rest of the work (this is not unusual however, since it is not uncommon for oral surgeons, for example, to place an implant to later be restored by a dentist.) But, I now knew a bit about implants since Dr. Sheen did this nearly every day in his prosthodontic practice and we worked with implant cases every day at the dental lab. I asked him what brand of implant was he planning to use.

osseointegration under microscope

At this point, I should explain that a titanium dental implant is a medical device that is placed into the bone of the maxilla (if an upper tooth) or the mandible (lower.) The dentist or surgeon will cut the gum to expose the bone and drill the appropriate sized hole for the specific implant being placed. Through an amazing process of the human body called osseointegration, the cells of the bone, over time, actually adhere firmly around the titanium; its almost like the implant becomes part of the bone.

There are many different designs, sizes, and brands of dental implants. Each have various characteristics that the manufacturers claim are better or more suited to particular applications. I was familiar with nearly all the leading brands as well as the various clones of the brands that were more "open source" type, if you will. What I knew was that I didn't really want one that I had never heard of or was proprietary. If proprietary, it would possibly mean that the abutment which would be delivered later to support the crown, would probably have to be a stock abutment. Custom abutments are preferred since they can be designed to more exactly fit the unique patient's need as far as size, shape, angle, emergence profile and several other benefits that I cannot remember off the top of my head. When the dentist showed me the implant in the box, I realized that it was an implant brand that I had never heard of.  So, after extracting the tooth and getting all set up to do the bone graft (to restore the bone loss) and perform the implant placement, I said that I didn't want the implant placed... only do the bone graft. (Let me say here that the dentist, who was able to see me on very short notice, was excellent, very capable, and professional.) I just knew that, in 3 weeks, I would never see him again and he used an implant brand I was totally unfamiliar with. By not immediately placing the implant, I was choosing to push out the treatment plan timetable by 4-6 months or more... meaning, I would be without a #31 tooth for that much longer. And I had something else I needed to keep in mind. When we lose a tooth, it is not uncommon for the teeth that are distal to (meaning farther from the midline, or front of your mouth) the missing tooth to move. If I had lost #30 (1st molar) instead and still had #31, #31 could actually move mesially (towards the front) and begin to move into the space left where #30 was removed. But, since it was #31 I was having extracted, I don't have a tooth behind it to move forward. So, no worries there.

But here's another fascinating thing about teeth. Even though I don't have to worry about an adjacent tooth moving into that empty spot, I still have to realize that #31 had a partner. It's the tooth above it... #2, my upper 2nd molar. It is what is called the opposing tooth. You know how it's said that it takes two to tango? It also takes two to chew. You can't clap with one hand and you can't chew without an upper and lower tooth. My upper #2 has now (temporarily) lost its partner. Yes, I can chew on my right side with my upper and lower 1st molars but, those 2nd molars, which are typically larger, do it really well. But its not just chewing. When our upper and lower teeth are in occlusion (like when our teeth are clenched) the upper and lower teeth "fit" together a certain way (although there are different "classes" of bite.) In the more common Class 1 bite, the upper teeth overlap the lower teeth slightly.

As an example, an upper #3 1st molar contacts the #30 opposing 1st molar as well as the #31 2nd molar behind #30. But, because I now have no #32 or #31, my #2 upper molar makes no contact with anything when I bite. I've now left him hanging, at least temporarily. One option is to do nothing as far as replacing my newly lost molar. I mean I still have 27 other teeth to handle all my chewing needs. But, our teeth are amazing. Because #2 now has no opposing tooth, it is possible that my now 52 year old #2 molar could start to change. Teeth that lose their opposing tooth and now have no occlusal contact in maximum intercuspation (they don't touch any opposing tooth when you bite down) can begin to grow (erupt) as if seeking out its partner. In worst cases, they can, what is called, super-erupt, which, in addition to making it longer, can also make the tooth unstable. Our jaw bones are continuously trying to push our teeth out and it is the contact with opposing teeth that keeps our teeth in the proper position... maintaining the correct occlusal plane.

super-erupted molar

Dr. Sheen has reassured me that if we get the dental implant done in a reasonable time, even though I have extended the timetable due to my being "dangerous" with my still woefully incomplete dental knowledge, I shouldn't worry about my #2 upper molar going rogue and starting to get longer.

So, if you've made it this far you are likely thinking... "doesn't Mike think he is so smart throwing around all those dental terms and trying to show how smart he thinks he is and trying to impress somebody." But, you would be wrong. If I was so smart I would have taken much better care of my teeth and wouldn't have gotten all those cavities during my younger years, leading to all those fillings which eventually led to tooth failures that led to having to need more dental work done.

Ignore your teeth. And they will go away. I once had 32 permanent teeth (4 of which were wisdom teeth which I had removed.) That left me with 28. I really had hoped to make it to heaven with all 28 of my remaining, God-given teeth. But alas... I must say goodbye to my #31... 2nd molar. But, he'll be back soon made of titanium and ceramic. I'll take better care of him this time.

Stretching Our Legs- On the Road With HaRVy

Prior to a couple of weeks ago, our RV trips were limited to a quick camping trip in Florida (1 hr from where we live) and a couple of trips to Georgia. But, our most recent trip saw us stretching our legs a bit. Our final destination was to visit my sister and family in Ft. Wayne, IN. This trip involved several firsts for us.

• First time not towing our car... the morning we were to leave, there was a severe thunderstorm and the rain was heavily pouring down. I didn't think it would be safe to try to connect the tow dolly and load the car in such terrible weather so... we left Dolly and Taurus behind.
• First time the dogs accompanied us. Our two 70 lb dogs rode with us from Florida to Georgia where my son was going to dog-sit them while we traveled. The 9-hr trip to Georgia confirmed that our MH is just not big enough to share with 150# of furry love.
• First time driving the motorhome through the mountains (more on this below)
• First time at a full hook-up campground... we could shower for as long as we wanted!
• First time we have driven HaRVy in SC, NC, TN, KY, OH, or IN. So, we can now fill in 8 of the lower 48 states if we had one of those fill-in, sticker thing maps.
• First time finding out why it is important to have 75 ft or more of fresh water hose with you. The distant water connection we shared with about 10 other campers looked like Clark Griswold's electrical connection in "Christmas Vacation." There were Y fittings on Y fittings. Surprisingly good water pressure nonetheless.
• First time buying Hemp Oil (more on that below)

The morning we left I was actually relieved when I made the decision to leave the car at home. I freely admit, I had some concern with HaRVy's ability to negotiate the steep grades of the Blue Ridge Mountains. By "negotiate," I mean get up the hill and not kill us going back down the hill. Anyone that has traveled on I-26 between Columbus, NC and Hendersonville, NC has experienced Howard Gap and the Green River Gorge. There is actually a maximum grade allowed in the construction of the Interstate Highway System of 6% (with some exceptions made in certain terrains for 7%.) This section of I-26 is one of those exceptions.

My concerns of whether our 12-year old 496 cubic inch engine/ Allison transmission powertrain was going to get us over the "hill" as we crossed the Eastern Continental Divide were unfounded. HaRVy downshifted as needed and we topped the steepest grade in the center lane doing 55 mph. Good boy! I'm sure if we had been pulling the car we would have been doing more like 45 but... it would have been just fine. All the while, my engine temperature never moved even with the AC running.

We spent the night at a state park just off I-75 in TN and left the next morning to push towards the Kentucky bluegrass and the cornfields and wind turbines of Ohio and Indiana. Crossing the Ohio River from Kentucky into downtown Cincinnati was pretty cool despite traffic coming to a complete halt/ slowdown for a few miles due to an accident. I guess it was an accident... it was all gone by the time we got there. The fun of interstate traveling.

Morning stillness at Johnny Appleseed Park.

Ft. Wayne's Johnny Appleseed Park campground was teeming with campers due to the week long Three Rivers Festival scheduled to start that weekend. But we were there for only 2 reasons... to spend some time with my sister, her family, and her darling grandchildren.... and to see our favorite Russian band in concert. More on them here.

Our "almost" Plan B overnight stop at Cracker Barrel

After 3 days in Ft. Wayne, it was hugs, goodbyes, and time for the return trip. By now, we had logged 1100 miles. I would say we had definitely stretched out legs a bit. Our next
overnight stay in Kodak, TN at Dumplin' Valley Farm RV park almost didn't happen because I could not reach them late on a Saturday afternoon and had to leave a message. In the meantime, we stopped at Cracker Barrel to eat and to see if we could overnight there as Plan B. All the other nearby campgrounds were full and it was getting late. Our view would have been the rear of Cracker Barrel. While we were eating, Dumplin' Valley called me back and said come on.

The picture at the top of this page (and these here) show why I wanted to spend the night at Dumplin' Valley. It was beautiful. I set up in a soft rain as the sun went down and when we woke up the next morning, we soaked in the beauty of this working farm.

We arrived in Augusta, GA later that day after "negotiating" the I-26 grades again and were reunited with our son and dogs. We made a stop along the way at the Farmer's Market in Asheville where we purchased some hemp (aka CBD) oil. Why? Because one of our two dogs experienced some anxiety on the original drive up. While in Augusta, we also purchased a crate which she seems to like during times of stress. The morning we left for the return leg to Florida, I gave her some oil and got her comfortable in her new crate. Not sure which helped the most but, she did much better on her 2nd time in the motorhome.

2200 miles covering 8 states. It was a great trip and hopefully, is just the start of some leg stretching in the future. It felt pretty good! Next trip? August 5th to visit the grandkids in their new home in NE North Carolina. Can't wait!

On the Road With HaRVy- But, Which Road?

Just like you do whenever you get into your car to go somewhere, traveling with an RV requires you to decide what route you are going to take. In many cases, the route we take in our everyday driving to run errands, go out to eat, take the kids to school is pretty much predetermined based on our past experience of the best way to get there.

Driving an RV that is 38 feet long (even longer when we tow the car behind us,) almost 13 feet tall, and weighing up to (in our case) 22,000 lbs does introduce some variables that we typically do not need to consider when driving the family SUV. There are dedicated GPS systems for RVs as well as some phone apps like CoPilot that allow you to load in the dimensions of your RV and, those tools will do their best to keep you from going somewhere that you do not want to ever go in a 11 ton RV. Only utilizing roads that can safely accommodate a vehicle that large is pretty important.

But that's not really the topic I wanted to cover.

We currently live in the Tampa area and we previously lived in Augusta, GA so, we have already made a couple of trips to and from there. As you can imagine, there are many ways to drive from the Tampa area to Augusta. Google maps will offer the quickest route that basically utilizes the interstate highways as much as possible, provided that Google doesn't "see" any potential travel delays due to an accident on the route that would make another route faster. For us, Google says to use Hwy 54 to I-75 N, I-75 to I-10 E, then to I-95 N, then to I-16 W... then it is secondary highways from the Statesboro, GA area to Augusta. Google says we can get there in about 7.5 hrs using that route. I appreciate so much President Eisenhower's efforts to make the interstate highway system a reality. There is no denying that it is almost always the most efficient way to get from point A to B when traveling long distances.

But, I just don't like being on an interstate for 4, 6, 8 hrs. It's boring. It's a bit more dangerous (in my opinion) given the volume of traffic and the speeds of 70, 75, 80, and "how fast was that BMW going?" However, I do think that I am not really being honest when I give the reasons for not wanting to use the interstate (at least not for the majority of the trip.)

I like the old highways. As a kid that grew up in the 50s and 60s, my experiences going on trips and vacations preceded the building of many of today's interstates. We traveled on what are now considered secondary roads. And those roads went through the hearts of cities and small towns and I just miss that.

I have fond memories of the mid-century era motor lodges with their flashing neon signage that maybe boasted a swimming pool, air conditioning, TV, and other 1960s amenities that we just take for granted today.

There were roadside restaurants (Howard Johnson's and their iconic orange roof,) and gas stations (Stuckeys... where else can you get a pecan praline or log roll?)

and ice cream stands, and tacky tourist stops that looked like trading posts, or others that included some roadside attraction. There were often picnic areas right off the highway where we could leisurely gobble up the wax paper-wrapped sandwiches that mom packed before we left in our tank-sized Buick Special. This was the America I grew up in. No seat belts, windows down, me lying across the deck under the rear window without a care in the world (oblivious to Newton's law that says a body in motion wants to remain in motion when the brakes are suddenly applied.)

If you are over 50 and from Georgia or South Carolina (and ever traveled to Florida,) it is likely you are familiar with a road called the Woodpecker Trail. It dates back to the 1920s with that monicker. It basically is the route that includes Hwy 25 and 121. You would know about towns with names like Augusta, Waynesboro, Millen, and Metter. Cobbtown, Collins, Reidsville, Surrency, Blackshear, Waycross, Folkston, and St. George are towns you would experience before finally crossing into Florida. Sadly, you can only see remnants of some of the gas stations, motels and restaurants of that era that have long since been abandoned or re-purposed. Some prefer the more eastern Hwy 301 route. Others like the more western Hwy 1, 221 route to Florida.

We discovered that there is a pretty straight line route from our FL home to Augusta that includes FL Hwy 19, 129, GA Hwy 129, 221 and 1. This route adds about 30 minutes to the mostly interstate Google suggested route. With HaRVy however, we have modified that route to use I-75 through most of Florida, getting off near Jasper, FL and taking our usual "backroads" route from there.

We choose our roads for different reasons... safety, speed of travel, the view, and, for me.... I guess I just want to cling to some of those fond memories of my past. Happy motoring!

Adventures with HaRVy- Dump Your Tanks!

We experienced our first long-distance, extended-stay trip in our motorhome. HaRVy is our 2008 38ft Damon Challenger Class A. HaRVy pulls Dolly and Dolly carries Taurus (the Bull) so that we have transportation at our destination.

She must trust the driver- she's napping

Last week, we drove 420 miles up to Georgia and camped for 8 nights at Mistletoe State Park in Appling, GA on Clarks Hill Reservoir. The 71,100 acre lake was formed in 1954 when the dam on the Savannah River, now named for J. Strom Thurmond, was completed.

Back in our tent and pop-up camping days, we stayed at a couple of the nearby Corp of Engineer campgrounds-- Petersburg and Winfield but, I wanted to try the state park this time. We reserved a pull-through site which turned out to be an excellent choice. We have a 50 amp motorhome but, we were unable to get into one of the relatively few sites that have 50 amp service. That simply means that, with only 30 amp service, we would be unable to run both AC units at the same time. Fortunately, our AC is a ducted system which means that cold air comes out all of the vents even when only one unit is running. We also had water hook up but not sewer hook up (if we had a sewer hook up, it would be considered a "full hookup site.") By not having it, we would have to visit the nearby dump station when exiting the campground.

If you are familiar with bigger RVs, you are familiar with the terms "fresh water, gray water, and black water." This refers to the onboard holding tanks. We can carry 65 gallons of fresh water. This is water that is provided to the sinks, the shower, and the toilet (for flushing.) We also can hold 47 gallons of gray water. This is the water that goes down your sinks and shower drains. We also can hold 47 gallons of black water. This is the result of what goes down the toilet. Because we were hooked up to the campground's water supply (a drinking water hose connects to the motorhome essentially like your garden hose,) fresh water tank capacity was a non-issue since we had an endless supply of pressurized water. However, when camping for an extended period, you have to remain mindful and periodically check your gray water and black water tank levels. We have an electronic display on the hallway wall where we can check our levels. At some point, hopefully not before you are ready to leave, you need to dump your tanks. Judicious use of water down the sinks and shower is important since we don't have unlimited tank capacity. We take "Navy showers" (turn on the shower, get wet, turn off the water, soap up and shampoo, turn water back on, and rinse.) 47 gallons sounds like a lot but, over the course of 8 days, it accumulates fast. Using the campground's bath house for showering helps to not fill up your gray tank prematurely.


I'll save for a later blog the actual process at the dump station. I'm sure you will be on the edge of your seat waiting on that one.

Tank dump valves. The least popular compartment under the motorhome.

I was thinking about those three tanks while camping this past week and began to see an analogy (like all analogies... it is not perfect but, stay with me.) We start out life with that life-giving, crystal clear, suitable-for-drinking, fresh water. But, because we are human and imperfect, that clean water, which comes in contact with our life, turns gray. All the dead skin, soil, and grime that runs off of us as well as the soapy, decaying particles that go down the kitchen sink turns that clear water to gray. It stops looking like what we started with. You may say it is just soapy water but... that's understating the condition of the water. I think the gray water can be like the everyday mistakes and ways we are disobedient... no longer pure and no longer clean. Because it is like the water most people are producing, we don't consider it THAT bad. That's our take on it. But it isn't clean. You would never want to drink it. It's not the best water we have to offer. But we look at everyone else and say that it's not so bad. (Some campgrounds even let you drain your gray water directly to the ground in designated areas.) Then there is the black water. Sometimes, how we live our lives can be such that we produce something that is toxic. It can make things (and people) it comes in contact with sick. It stinks. Nobody wants to be around it. Throughout our lives, we are generating smelly, soiled gray water and even some really nasty, disgusting black water. Regardless of whether gray or black... both are bad water. And both have to be dealt with... it needs to go. Yes, my tanks can hold tens of gallons of gray and black water; but, why would I want to continuously carry that around with me?

God's intention for our lives is to live in the crystal clear, fresh water that He has provided. Our attitudes, our disobedience, and our behaviors (especially towards others) stinks up what God intends for us. But, there is good news.

Because of what God has done for us (because He knew we would disobey and soil and stink up what He provided) we are allowed to dump those tanks. Because of the saving work of Jesus, we get to eliminate all that gray and black water in our lives and let it go. As I live, I am going to continue to accumulate more gray and black water. Since God provides me the way to be rid of it, why would I want to hold on to all that nasty stuff when I have been given the opportunity to let it go? The ability to dump the tanks, leaving me with only that beautiful fresh water I started with. I need to dump my tanks. I need to start anew with a fresh start. Every day. I need forgiveness, I need mercy, I need grace. I need to allow God to take away all that nastiness that I produce. Dump your tanks.

On The Road With HaRVy

HaRVy is an RV

We have an addition to the family. His name is HaRVy. At least, that's what we have decided to call him. HaRVy is an 11 year old Damon Challenger 377 Class A motorhome. He's almost 38 feet long built on a Workhorse W-22 chassis and is powered by an 8.1 liter gas engine (that's 496 cubic inches for those of you still unwilling to embrace the metric system) mated to an Allison Series 1000 6-speed transmission. He's rated at about 340 horsepower @4200 RPM and 455 lb.-ft. of torque at 3200 RPM. HaRVy has three slideouts, has twin Carrier A/C units, hot water heater, 5500 watt generator, a queen size bed, 20 inch TV in bedroom, dining room table that seats 4, kitchen with refrigerator/freezer (that runs on propane or AC power,) gas stove and oven, microwave oven, full-size kitchen sink, bathroom with toilet, vanity and shower, living room with sleeper sofa, recliner, and a 32 inch TV. Outside, there is a powered awning that runs 20 ft down the length of the motorhome.

I should mention that we also added another to the family. Since we need to be able to go places when HaRVy is in his camping spot, we now have Taurus the Bull that HaRVy pulls along behind on a tow Dolly. Taurus is a couple of years older than HaRVy.

You may be wondering why two 60-somethings, who have already raised 2 kids (now 30 and almost 33 yrs old,) would, at this stage in their life, want to be adding to the family.

Well, here's the deal. We have two grandchildren (and their parents) who live about 10 minutes away. We like that. Thanks to the Coast Guard, they will be moving in a couple of months to a small town in northeastern NC (in fact, only about a mile and a half from the VA border.) That being the case, Carol and I will be leaving Florida (this was only ever a temporary gig) later this year. But where to go then? Our home prior to coming to FL in 2017 was Augusta, GA. Our son and his fiancee live in Augusta, GA. Nearly every friend we have lives in Augusta, GA. But... our grandchildren don't live in Augusta, GA. Hence, the dilemma.

To add to that dilemma, over the last 3 years or so, it has become harder for Carol to travel. I won't get into all the specifics but, I will say that staying in hotel rooms or even in the homes of family members has become more and more difficult because those surroundings are now a bit disorienting to her and staying in what are becoming less familiar surroundings is stressful. We still want to be able to go places, especially go to where our daughter & her family live as well as to where our son & fiancee live. One of those places will be where home #1 is.

So, that's where HaRVy comes in. HaRVy's role in the family is to be rolling house #2 that can allow Carol to feel "home" regardless of what city we are visiting. This allows Carol to have her bed and her bathroom with all of her stuff in a familiar spot... no more packing suitcases and makeup bags, which is also a high stress activity for her (HaRVy is now fully equipped with all the things that would typically need to be packed whenever Carol would travel... both our house and our house-on-wheels are fully equipped with duplicates of her stuff.)

We took HaRVy out last weekend for the opportunity to get to know him a little better and see how well he (and his dad- the driver) behaves. It was also important for me that Carol and HaRVy have a real bonding experience. We booked a couple of nights at Colt Creek State Park campground a little over an hour from our house. I didn't want to get too far from home... just in case. The drive from our storage lot to the state park was pretty uneventful (thank goodness!) Carol was a little nervous riding for the first time in a big Class A motorhome with a rookie at the wheel but, both HaRVy and I were able to assuage her fear. Set-up at the campsite went perfectly. This is a nearly new campground with only about 36 sites so, we enjoyed some peaceful relaxation.

      

(Click here to open in YouTube)

I am happy to report that Carol truly grew to love HaRVy over the course of our two-night stay. In fact, on the day we were to leave Carol said, "I wish we could stay here a few more nights." I'd call that a good first step in the relationship. Exiting the campground included a stop at the dump station to experience the nitrile gloved-up sewer hose hook-up to drain the contents of our onboard grey and black water tanks. Fortunately, I had no Robin Williams-in-the-movie-RV moment so, all was good. On the return trip, Carol also got to experience our first fill-up at a gas station. Bear in mind that the total length of HaRVy and Taurus is about 60 feet. And, with Taurus in tow, there is no backing up (I remove Taurus and the tow dolly before backing up HaRVy into a campsite.) $162.00 later at the Flying J, we were back on the road heading home. Like most large motorhomes, HaRVy is a thirsty boy...he drinks a gallon of gas for every 7-8 miles he runs.

Next weekend, Carol, HaRVy, Dolly, Taurus, and I will head out to spend 8 nights at Mistletoe State Park near Augusta to take care of some routine semi-annual doctor appointments. I'm optimistic that the bonding that began last weekend will continue and that we will confirm that this new way to travel is all that we hope it will be. So... I plan to blog about our adventures on the road with HaRVy. This isn't just about having a motorhome. This is an important thing for our family. I know that some of what I have written is a bit cryptic but... you'll just have to try to understand that some private, family stuff will remain private, family stuff. Thanks in advance for understanding.

Here are some pics from our first time out with HaRVy and Taurus the Bull.

plenty of room with these spacious sites

this guy walked up while we were eating dinner

all the comforts of home...

happy wife- happy life

75 gallon tank... this is gonna hurt

beautiful scenery; lots of hiking trails

Carol and HaRVy bonding

Make Me Smile

A couple of years ago I came across a YouTube video of a band from Russia (yes that Russia) performing a song by the band Chicago. I thought with great sarcasm, "Oh, this is going to be interesting," thinking that it would be some poorly done knock-off. Oh boy... was I wrong.

It was sometime in the summer of 1970 when I first heard the song, "25 or 6 to 4" playing on the radio. I remember exactly where I was standing (in my uncle's house in Keene, NH) when I heard that song for the first time. There were not very many rock and roll bands back in the late 60's and early 70's that featured horn sections like Chicago and vocals as good as Peter Cetera's. Chicago's arrangements were some of the most dynamic and elaborate of any being done in popular music at the time. 25 or 6 to 4 remains one of my favorite songs and, in my younger years, I could belt out the song with ease although, these days, hitting the highest notes in the song is no longer in my wheelhouse.

So, I listened to the video two years ago with great anticipation but much skepticism. Leonid & Friends just blew me away! Every note, every drum fill, Sergey Kashirin's lead guitar rides, Serge Tiagniryadno's lead vocals (he's the lone Ukranian in the band,) the backup vocals (the Russian accents partially coming through, adding to the flavor,) and the horns.... the horns! I sat there listening to this "cover" with my mouth agape.

Leonid Vorobyev (who handles the arrangements, plays bass/piano and, and, and) has put together an incredible group of talented musicians that collectively may be the best cover/tribute band I have ever heard. They have now released 2 albums (Chicagovich and Chicagovich II available on iTunes.) I downloaded them both. The albums include the songs 25 or 6 to 4, Wishing You Were Here, You Are On My Mind, Make Me Smile, Saturday in the Park, Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is, If You Leave Me Now, Feelin' Stronger Every Day, Questions 67 & 68, and 13 other great Chicago tunes. (The highlighted song links go to their YouTube videos)

For those of us that have discovered and have quickly grown to love this band, you can imagine the excitement when we learned that they were finally coming to the USA to tour! In addition to concerts this month in NYC, LA, Chicago, and Dallas, their last concert is 40 minutes away from my house when they play at the Capitol Theater in Clearwater, Florida. Our tickets on row 6 have been secured and I cannot wait until January 22 to see and hear them in person.

That will definitely make me smile.

(And here they are singing in their native tongue- "This is Rus." I have no idea what they are saying but it sure is beautiful!)